Gen. Hayden: US in a 'Far Better Place Today' Than 48 Hours Ago

Retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden says the U.S. is "in a far better place today than we were 48 hours ago" prior to President Barack Obama's speech outlining his plan to address the threat posed by ISIS.

Hayden said Obama, on Wednesday night during an address to the nation, "said what had to be said," though he may have been reluctant to do it.

"This is not a speech the president wanted to give," Hayden, who served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, told Newsmax TV's "America's Forum" on Thursday.

"I don't think he ever wanted to be there, but he was there out of necessity. And, I'm glad he got himself there before it was way too late."

Hayden said when former President George W. Bush left office, his administration shared terror concerns with Obama. He said the president would now have to take responsibility for not leaving troops behind when the U.S. withdrew from Iraq in 2011.

"That was the choice the president made. I know he had some bumps on the road, with regard to a Status of Forces Agreement," Hayden said.

"But, fundamentally, he took credit for going to zero in 2011. And, so now he's got to take responsibility for the . . . effects of our going to zero," he said.

Hayden cautioned it was "unwise" for Obama to put limitations on actions the U.S. would take in the campaign against ISIS, such as the use of ground troops. He said "no boots on the ground" wasn't a strategy, "it's a mantra."

In a separate interview on Newsmax's "The Steve Malzberg Show," Hayden said he believes the nation is safer since the Sept. 11th, 2001 attacks — and in more danger as well.

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"I'm going to say yes to both. The threat is different now and ISIS has certainly made the threat more dangerous than it was three or five years ago," Hayden said.

"Is it back to 9/11 levels? I don't know. But let me tell you what's really changed. We've changed. We're a real tough target because of people like [New York City Police Commissioner] Ray Kelly.

"It's hard for people, even if there are bunch of them out there who want to do harm to us, it's harder for them to harm us. In that sense, we're better off. But in terms of the threat, well, that's actually gotten worse over the last couple of years."

Hayden told Steve Malzberg "the real punch" in taking on ISIS will come through "air power and forces on the ground and that's going to take a long time.

"Did you note [the president] didn't put a time limit on this yesterday? He realizes this is going to take years. If you ask me a number, it's three to five," he said.

Hayden was critical of Secretary of State John Kerry's reluctance to call the effort against ISIS a war.

"Why are we afraid to just call things the way they are? These guys are jihadist, OK, they're jihadist. And we are engaged in an armed conflict with an opposing armed enemy force being conducted under the laws of armed conflict. That's kind of like a war," he said.

Retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden says the U.S. is in a far better place today than we were 48 hours ago prior to President Barack Obama's speech outlining his plan to address the threat posed by ISIS.
Hayden said Obama, on Wednesday night during an address to the...